NB PLEASE RETURN BOTH COMPLETED FORMS ON SEPARATE SHEETS TO THE TREASURER .

PLEASE DO NOT PRINT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE FORM

Please note: A condition of membership is that you must be proposed by an existing member. You can contact any member of the club/committee. E-mail address and phone numbers for the committee can be found here.

Rules

The Club shall be called Weimaraner Club of Great Britain and shall:

Promote, foster and protect the interest of the Weimaraner and the Club in every possible way.

Accept, subject to review, the standard of the breed and urge the adoption of such type by judges, breeders and exhibitors as the standard of excellence by which the breed should be judged.

Endeavour to support dog shows whenever it is in the interest of the Weimaraner to do so.

Appoint a panel of breed judges, to be selected by the Committee and submitted to the Kennel Club in the format required by the body.

Endeavour to hold Club show or shows annually.

Support field trials and adopt any other means as may be deemed advisable for the improvement and encouragement of the breed.

Authorise the appointment of the press representative if necessary.

Officers and Committee

The Club shall consist of an unlimited number of members, a President, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer and Committee, none of whom may sit upon or hold any other committee positions within the society or within the breed and who shall be subject, on election or co-option, to Standing Orders, such Standing Orders to regulate the conduct of the members of the Committee in the pursuance of their duties in the service of the Club and its Members. (The Standing Orders to be supplementary to the rules of the Club, copies of which may be obtained from the Secretary).

The management of the Club shall be conducted by:

A committee consisting of NINE members who shall each serve for a period of THREE years but shall be eligible for re-election. No individual who has been a member for less than two years may be elected on to the committee.

A President who shall retire quinquennially but be eligible for re-election.

A Treasurer and Secretary who shall retire annually and be eligible for re-election

All elected officers shall be ex-officio, voting members of the committee. The committee shall, if it deems it necessary, have power to co-opt up to three additional, non-voting members.

Vice-Presidents may attend any meeting but shall not have voting powers unless present as elected members of the Committee or in the capacity of Chairman when a casting may be exercised.

Meeting of the Committee shall be held as often as deemed necessary, but at least every three months and SIX voting members shall form a quorum for the transaction of the business.

Officers and Committee members participate in a committee meeting when a) the meeting has been called and takes place in accordance with these rules and b) they can communicate to the others any information or opinions they have on any particular item of business of the meeting. It is irrelevant where the officer or committee member is, or how they communicate with each other. If all the persons participating in the meeting are not in the same place, they may decide that the meeting is to be treated as taking place wherever any of them is.

The Committee may cause sub-committee to be formed to be responsible to it as it may require. Minutes of all sub-committee meetings shall be kept.

In accordance with the wishes of members, the Committee may cause branches to be formed following applications from members in a geographical area, subject to Kennel Club approval.

Committee members shall advise the Secretary prior to a committee meeting if they are unable to attend. A Committee member who fails to attend three consecutive meetings without a satisfactory explanation will be deemed to have resigned from the committee.

Election of membersCandidates for membership shall be proposed by a member and have paid the necessary subscription to the Secretary of the club. Such candidates will immediately be entitled to the privileges of membership (other than voting privileges) until the next meeting of the Committee at which the candidate shall be approved or not for membership. In case of non-approval, any monies paid by the candidate shall be returned forthwith, and the Committee is not required to disclose the reason(s) for not approving a candidate for membership. A candidate who is not approved for membership shall not apply for membership for a period of at least two years.

Subscriptionsa.The annual subscription shall be determined by the members in general Meeting and notified to the Kennel Club. The annual subscription shall be due on the first day of January each year and with exception of Vice-presidents, life and honorary members, any member whose subscription is unpaid by 31 March will be deemed to have resigned but if a Committee shall subsequently receive the satisfactory explanation, the member may, at the discretion of the Committee and with payment in arrears, be re-elected to membership. b.New members joining after 1st September in any one year will be deemed to have paid the annual subscription until 31st December in the following year. c.Joint membership shall be defined as two members of one family or any two persons being registered as joint owners of one Weimaraner.

Resignation of members

A member can resign on giving notice in writing to the Secretary, and any member whose resignation has been accepted or whose membership has lapsed and who wishes again to become a member must be proposed in the ordinary way, as if he or she had never been a member. A member leaving the Club shall not be entitled to receive back any money which may have been paid to the Club or on account of the Club, during his or her membership or have any claim against the Club.

Vice-Presidents, Honorary Members and Life Members.

The Club shall, through the Committee, when it deems appropriate, nominate Vice-Presidents and Honorary Members, such nominations to be submitted for acceptance to a vote of members at the Annual General Meeting. A member whose subscription has been paid each year for thirty years or more shall be accorded life membership. Vice-Presidents, Life and Honorary members shall have all the rights and privileges of membership but shall not be liable to pay any further subscription.

Club property

The property of the Club shall be vested in the Committee and in the event of the Club ceasing to exist a General Meeting of Members shall be called to decide the manner of disposal of any assets. Members or others making the grant of trophies shall be asked to acknowledge that the donation is an outright gift to the Club.

Records

The Club must make a list of members and their addresses available for inspection if so required by the members of the society or by the Kennel Club. The Membership list shall be used for the purpose of the Club and for no other purposes whatsoever. Minutes of the Club and Committee shall be kept. A book of accounts of the monies of the Club shall be kept and subject to audit annually.

Election of officers and members of the Committee

Not less than eight weeks before the Annual General Meeting the Secretary shall send to every member a Notice of Meeting together with a circular inviting nominations for the posts of the Secretary, Treasurer and should the office be vacant, President, and any vacancies to be filled on the Committee. Each nominee, whose previous acceptance must have been obtained in writing, and each proposer and seconder, shall be fully paid up members of the Club. The nominations must be in hands of the Secretary six weeks before the date fixed for the Annual General Meeting together with any resolution members may wish to have put on the Agenda. The membership list will be produced annually and a copy will be made available to any member on request.

The Secretary shall, a month before the Annual General Meeting, issue to all fully paid up members a ballot paper, if necessary, on which shall be shown the names of the persons nominated. Members shall vote on these ballot papers in the normal way and return them to the tellers a clear fourteen days before the Annual General Meeting. In the case of joint members, each member of the partnership shall receive a ballot paper and each shall be entitled to vote.

Proxy votes are not allowed. Postal votes on other matters raised at the Annual General meeting are not allowed. Voting shall be by show of hands and other than resolution to wind up the Club resolutions shall be determined by a simple majority. The Chairman elected for the meeting shall have a casting vote in the event of a tie.

The Secretary shall call the Annual General Meeting with at least 28 days clear notice. The Agenda shall be sent to all members and TWENTY members shall form a quorum at a properly called meeting, if a quorum is not present, a further Annual General Meeting shall be called by the Secretary at which any SIX members shall form a quorum.

In the case of election of candidates to serve on the Committee, each candidate shall be voted upon by a separate individual vote, and therefore not put to the meeting with other candidates as an “en bloc” expedient.

General Meeting ( Annual and Special)

The financial year of the Club shall be from the 1st January each year until 31st day of December following. The Annual general Meeting shall be held as early as possible after 1st January in each year and in any case not later than 30th April of that year.

The officers acknowledge that during the month of January each year Maintenance of Title fee will be forwarded to the Kennel Club by the secretary for the continuance of registration and that by 31st July each year, other returns, as stipulated in Kennel Club Regulations for the Registration and Maintenance of Title of Societies and Breed Councils and the Affiliation of Agricultural Societies and Municipal Authorities, will be forwarded to the Kennel Club.

The officers also acknowledge their duty to inform the Kennel Club of any change of Secretary of the Society which may occur during the course of the year.

The Annual General Meeting shall be held for the purpose of:

Receiving the report of the Chairman and Committee

To receive the Balance sheet and Treasurer’s Report

To elect Officers and Committee

To discuss any resolution placed on the agenda, of which prior notice has been received by the secretary. No business shall be transacted at an Annual General Meeting unless notice thereof appears on the Agenda, which the exception of routine matters or those which in the opinion of the chairman of the meeting are urgent.

A Special General Meeting shall be summoned by the Secretary if 24 members send a signed requisition stating the subject to be discussed and requesting a Special General Meeting to do so. The Committee of the club is also empowered to call a Special General Meeting. No business other than detailed on the agenda can be discussed at a Special General Meeting. Members receive 14 days notice of a Special General Meeting.

The Rules of the Club shall not be altered except at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting. Any alteration to rules passed at a meeting shall not come into force until the Kennel Club has been advised and given its approval of the alteration.

Expulsion of members

Any member who shall be suspended under Kennel Club Rule A42j(4) and /or any member whose dog(s) is/are disqualified under Kennel Club Rule A42J(8) shall ipso facto cease to be a member of the club for the duration of the suspension and /or disqualification.

If the conduct of any member shall, in the opinion of the Committee of the Club be injurious to the character or interests of the club, the committee of the club may, at a meeting the notice of which included as an object the consideration of conduct of the member, determine that a Special General Meeting of the Club shall be called for the purpose of passing a resolution to expel him/her.

Notice of the Special General Meeting shall be sent to the accused member, giving particulars of the complaint and advising the place, date and hour of the meeting that he/she may attend and offer an explanation. If at the meeting a resolution to expel is passed by a two-thirds majority of the Members present and voting, his/her name shall forthwith be erased from the list of members, and he/she shall thereupon cease for all purposes to be a member of the club except that he/she may, within two calendar months from the date of the meeting, appeal to Kennel Club upon and subject to such conditions as the Kennel Club may impose. Any member who shall be expelled shall forfeit all right to any money he or she may have paid to or on account of the club during his or her membership, neither shall there be any claim on the funds or property of the club, The Kennel Club shall be notified of such expulsion within seven days.

Club Accounts

The account of the monies of the Club shall be kept by the treasurer, and banking account shall be opened in the name of the Club into which all revenue of the club shall be paid and from which all withdrawals shall be made on the signature of two of the following officers, one of who must be the Treasurer or Secretary, President, Vice Presidents, Secretary, Treasurer.

Income and expenditure account and balance sheet shall be prepared annually which must be either certified or audited by one qualified accountant or two unqualified persons with accountancy experience. Such accountant or persons, who need not be members of the club, shall be appointed at the Annual General Meeting for the ensuing year except in the case of a casual vacancy when the Committee shall have the power to appoint until the next Annual General Meeting. A statement of the accounts shall be circulated to all members present at the Annual General Meeting and then sent out to all members with the minutes of the Annual General Meeting, Also, any paid-up member, on request, can have a copy of the accounts sent to them before the Annual General Meeting.

Kennel Club final court of appealThe Kennel Club shall be the final court of appeal in all matters of dispute.

The Club shall not join any federation or societies or clubs

The Standard of the breed as approved by the Kennel Club shall be issued to all members on joining the club.

Code of conductThe code of conduct annexed to these rules shall be deemed to form part of the rules and all members of the Club shall be under an obligation to abide by the code.

Winding Up

A resolution that the Club is to be wound up can only be passed at a special meeting by a majority of seventy-five per cent of all members present. Such resolution shall decide the manner of disposal of any assets but shall not be effected until the approval of the Kennel Club has been obtained.

If resolution to wind up the Club is passed at a special meeting and approved by the Kennel Club, the members shall appoint a liquidator to:

Sell any assets

Pay any liabilities

Refund to members current subscription, in full or in part, depending upon the amount available, to all members receiving the same proportion of the amounts paid by them.

Deal with any further assets

Bankruptcy

No person whilst an undischarged bankrupt, may serve on the Committee or hold any other office or appointment within a Kennel Club Registered Society.

Code of Ethics

All members of the Weimaraner Club of Great Britain undertake to abide by its general Code of Ethics.

Club Members:

Will properly house, feed, water and exercise all dogs under their care and arrange for appropriate veterinary attention if and when required.

Will agree without reservation that any veterinary surgeon performing an operation of any of their dogs which alters the natural conformation of the animal, or who carries out a caesarean section on a bitch, may report such operation to the Kennel Club.

Will agree that no healthy puppy will be culled. Puppies which may not conform to the Breed Standard should be placed in suitable homes.

Will abide by all aspects of the Animal Welfare Act.

Will not create demand for, nor supply, puppies that have been docked illegally.

Will agree not to breed from a dog or bitch which could be in any way harmful to the dog or to the breed.

Will not allow any of their dogs to roam at large or to cause a nuisance to neighbours or those carrying out official duties.

Will ensure that their dogs wear properly tagged collars and will be kept leashed or under effective control when away from home.

Will clean up after their dogs in public places or anywhere their dogs are being exhibited.

Will only sell dogs where there is a reasonable expectation of a happy and healthy life and will help with the re-homing of a dog if the initial circumstances change.

Will supply written details of all dietary requirements and give guidance concerning responsible ownership when placing dogs in a new home.

Will ensure that all relevant Kennel Club documents are provided to the new owner when selling or transferring a dog, and will agree, in writing, to forward any relevant documents at the earliest opportunity, if not immediately available.

Will not sell any dog to a commercial dog wholesalers, retail pet dealers or directly or indirectly allow dogs to be given as a prize or donation in a competition of any kind. Will not sell by sale or auction Kennel Club registration certificates as stand alone items (not accompanying a dog).

Will not knowingly misrepresent the characteristics of the breed nor falsely advertise dogs nor mislead any person regarding the health or quality of a dog.

WCGB Breed specific Code of Conduct

Members will consider the welfare of their dogs and the breed above any personal gain or profit and will take responsibility for any dogs they own.

**Members will only breed from Weimaraners of sound temperament, which show natural ability and will always strive to produce Weimaraners conforming to the standard as published by the Kennel Club.Weimaraners registered by the Kennel Club as 'colour not recognized by the kennel Club' are not considered to conform to that standard.**

Members will not allow their stud dogs to mate bitches of less than two years or which would produce a litter after the bitch’s eighth birthday or within 12 months of whelping a previous litter or who have had three or more litters. Neither dogs nor bitches in poor health, of unsound temperament or with serious hereditary faults will be used for breeding.

Stud dog owners will use discretion in the number of times their dog is used in the course of each year.

Members will not allow their bitches to whelp more than once in every twelve months or to be mated before two years of age or to whelp after the bitchs' eighth birthday. A bitch will not have more than three litters during her lifetime.

Members will abide by the conditions for entry onto the Puppy List.

Members shall ensure that any stock from which they breed shall be registered at the Kennel Club.

Members will not, when advertising, misrepresent themselves or their stock and will deal only in a fair and honest manner with clients who shall be advised of any fault the dog may have. Clients buying stock shall be encouraged to present the dog to a veterinary surgeon within three days of purchase. Should a veterinary surgeon, at such an examination, advise that the dog is not suitable for the purpose for which it was bought, members will verify this opinion and, if necessary, take back such a dog and refund the purchase price.

Members will be encouraged to take advantage of any relevant, official scheme devised to test a dog's soundness.

Members will, when engaged in competitive events with their dogs, conduct themselves in such a way as not to being discredit to the breed or Club, and will demonstrate good sportsmanship at all times.

Repeated violations of the Code of Conduct may result in expulsion in accordance with Rule 12.

Trophies will be withheld from members and non-members who have previously failed to return trophies when requested and who failed to offer a reasonable explanation.

The breeder/stud dog owner will be expected to take responsibility with rehoming of their stock.

Breach of these provisions may result in expulsion from Club Membership, and/or disciplinary action by the Kennel Club and/or reporting to the relevant authorities for legal action, as appropriate.